Bad management and underwhelming investment in technology

America has similar complaints

One would assume from the press that the United States is alone in the world with ATC problems. Congress, A4A and a number of Washington think t anks are heard to say that the sky is falling, that NextGen is a disaster, that the US Government must provide a reliable stream of funding and assertions that the existing management is inept.

Taking higher revenues as profits, rather than INVESTING in improved technologies.

The FAA paints a different picture—showing an on-time performance of 81.33% with only 5.81% (as opposed to 6.29% for the previous year) attributable to system delay-

The US airlines have their own voice—A4A and it has posted the below table to summarize the costs of the FAA’s ATC system for its members:

“Delayed aircraft are estimated to have cost the airlines several billion dollars in additional expense. Delays also drive the need for extra gates and ground personnel and impose costs on airline customers (including shippers) in the form of lost productivity, wages and goodwill… Assuming $49 per hour* as the average value of a passenger’s time, 2017 delays are estimated to have cost air travelers billions of dollars. FAA/Nextor estimated the annual costs of delays (direct cost to airlines and passengers, lost demand, and indirect costs) in 2017 to be $26.6 billion.

.

Hard to compare since the numbers cited are not readily comparable; so, you will have to make your own judgment.

The good news is that the airline complaints are not confined to our borders. ATC, wherever it is being provided, is a source of debate.